Tells us about destination before leaving campus at night, will inform parents: IIT Kharagpur to students

Kolkata: In a bid to ensure students' safety outside campus in late-night hours, IIT Kharagpur authorities have decided to keep a tab on their movement when they step out and also keep their parents updated accordingly, an official said on Thursday.

According to the new guidelines issued by the institute, guardians will be informed if a student exits the campus between 10 pm and 6 am.

"They will have to share their destination, purpose of visit and expected time of return, and record their arrival at the campus after the visit, the official said.

The earlier rule that no student will be allowed to leave the campus without the institute ID card will be strictly enforced," he said, adding that any violation of the directive may invite disciplinary action.

IIT Kharagpur director Suman Chakraborty said certain rules and regulations were already in place in case a student would have to leave the campus at late night hours.

The authorities want to strictly enforce the existing rules and the new ones, which include keeping the guardian of a student updated in case he goes outside the campus at night, Chakraborty said.

He said that recently, a hostel boarder was killed after being hit by a train when he left the campus at midnight, but the institute had no inkling of his whereabouts after the student left the campus.

"When a student leaves the campus, if they face any situation or accident outside, the responsibility lies with the institute. Like parents, he/she is also our child. We are not curbing them. They are not class five students. They are adults, and we have nothing to do with their movement. But we must know where they have gone," the director said.